Rum savarin with raspberries (savarin au rhum et aux framboises)

The Savarin, a yeast cake that’s moistened with syrup, is similar to the Lorraine classic, rum baba, but without raisins. The Savarin was created in 1840 by a pastry chef who named it after French gourmand Jean Antheleme Brillat-Savarin. You’ll need a 20 cm Savarin or ring pan and a large piping bag.

• serves

  6

• prep

  45 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 7 g sachet dried yeast
• 60 ml (¼ cup) lukewarm milk
• 200 g (1⅔ cups) plain flour, sifted
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten 
• 220 g (1 cup) caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp, extra
• 90 g unsalted butter, cut into 2cm cubes, at room temperature
• 1 lemon, zested
• 60 ml (¼ cup) rum
• raspberries and double cream, to serve

Proving time 1 hour

Instructions

Place yeast and milk in a bowl and stir to combine. Using an electric mixer, beat flour, eggs and yeast mixture for 2 minutes or until a very soft, sticky dough. Cover bowl with a cloth and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour or until dough doubles in size.

Return bowl to electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. With mixer running, add extra 1 tbsp sugar and butter, one cube at a time, ensuring each piece is incorporated before adding the next. Knead on medium–high speed for 8 minutes or until dough is soft and silky. (The dough will initially be very sticky; there is no need to add additional flour, as dough will become firmer during kneading.)

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place dough in a large piping bag and pipe into a buttered 20 cm Savarin or round pan. Tap pan a few times on the bench to remove air bubbles. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place for 30 minutes or until slightly risen. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Stand for 5 minutes before turning out onto a serving plate.

Meanwhile, to make syrup, place remaining 1 cup sugar, lemon zest and 375 ml water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 minutes or until reduced by one-third, then stir in rum. Pour half the syrup over Savarin. Stand for 5 minutes, then pour over remaining syrup. Allow Savarin to absorb syrup before serving with berries and cream.

Drink Campbells Rutherglen Topaque, Rutherglen (375ml, $18).

As seen in Feast Magazine, Issue 12, pg85. 

Photography by Brett Stevens

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.